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Things people ask when you go vegan

Monday, 1 August 2016

Sometimes I feel that telling people you are vegan is actually harder than being vegan. It can be a little intimidating at first because oh-my-god people are going to ask so many questions and wonder what on earth you are even doing with your life, but you kinda get used to it and some of the responses can be quite funny (or a little bit worrying). I've been vegan for around four months now so most people in my life know about my lifestyle change, here are some of the questions they asked when I told them...

Vegan? What's that?

Yup, there are still people who aren't really sure what a vegan is. I've just kind of always known but there are some who have never come across the term, or who just aren't sure what it actually means. This question gives you a wonderful opportunity to let people know why you are doing what you are doing and to raise awareness of the vegan lifestyle. Some won't understand but others will be super interested and intrigued about it, which is always a really lovely feeling. And even if people can't understand your choice, at least they are now aware of the lifestyle and what it means.

What's wrong with being vegetarian?

There's nothing at all wrong with being vegetarian. I was vegetarian for about six months before deciding to go vegan. I think it just depends on the person. Being veggie is wonderful and by making that decision you are making a huge difference to the lives of animals, the planet and yourself. While I was veggie, though, I started looking more into the vegan lifestyle and realised that for me, vegetarian wasn't enough and that I wanted to do more. I knew from what I'd learned that I just couldn't support the dairy and egg industries any longer and so I made the change. For others, they are content with being vegetarian and that's okay too. In fact, I'm a pretty firm believer that everyone has the right to eat exactly how they choose without question or being made me feel guilty. Always do what's right for you but always respect others choices too.

Vegan, really?

This one hurt a little. I almost felt like I was being looked down on, like I was being ridiculous making by this choice. What you will realise though is that some people just don't get it and perhaps never will. Yes, really, I am vegan and, for me, it's the best decision I've ever made. You'll find that sometimes being a vegan means standing your ground, knowing your facts and being able to fight for what you believe in when others try to put you down or make you feel bad.

Can you just not be vegan for a day so we can go to this restaurant?

Um, no... I got this one when I mentioned to a friend that I was vegan now and so would need to check the menu before going to make sure there was something I could eat. She then asked if I could just not be vegan for a day so we could go. I never said I couldn't go, just that I wanted to make sure they would be able to make me something first. Eating out as a vegan can be a little difficult, depending on where you go, but almost always they will be able to make you something so it's not a huge deal. You wouldn't ask someone who was vegetarian to eat a steak so why should it be any different for vegans?

But you still eat eggs, right?

Nope. No eggs. Being vegan means not eating anything that comes from any animal, so although eggs aren't dairy they are still not vegan. I never really liked eggs anyway though so I wasn't too upset about this one.

But omg, cheese. I couldn't live without cheese. How can you give up cheese?

Cheese used to be one of my absolute favourites so I totally get where this question is coming from. I used to think 'oh god, I could never give up cheese', but it's actually a whole lot easier than you might think. After a few weeks of eating vegan, I didn't crave it anymore and had pretty much forgotten all about it, of course, that was until I tried vegan cheese because, wow, that stuff is good. So, actually, you don't miss out at all. One thing you will find with being vegan is that there is an alternative to almost every single thing out there - think vegan burgers, cheese, ice cream, chocolate, pizza... you really never miss out.